detail information

Test machine:

For this review we will be using a computer with the following configuration:

Hardware:

• Motherboard: Asus A8V Deluxe
• Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (Venice) 1000 MHz HyperTransport
• RAM: 1 GB Corsair Kit PC3200 DDR
• GFX: ATI Radeon 9600 XT
• Sound: Onboard Realtek AC'97
• Hard disk: Seagate Barracuda ST3250823A 250 GB

System set-up:

The HP dvd840e was connected to the USB2.0 interface and identified itself as HP DVD Writer 840e. Autorun was enabled for all devices.

Software:

Windows XP Professional is installed on the computer along with Service Pack 2 for Windows XP. We will be using the following software in this review:

• Ahead Nero CD-DVD Speed v4.10
• Ahead Nero InfoTool v3.03

Installation:

We quickly installed the drive without any problems and here is a screenshot from Nero InfoTool:

Our drive came shipped with firmware 66FF and the only drawbacks we could see are: The missing Mt. Rainier support along with the small buffer size.

Features and techniques:

LightScribe:

The HP dvd840e supports the LightScribe feature/technique. Please see its own dedicated page in this article to learn more about it.

BookType (Bitsetting):

The HP dvd840e supports Bitsetting, and the writer will by default write DVD+R/RW/R DL media with the BookType - DVD-ROM.

DVD-RAM:

The HP dvd840e is a so-called Super Multi DVD Writer, meaning it can write and read the DVD-RAM format.

Reading DVD-RAM at 5x

Due to an incompatibility issue between the external controller/case and Nero CD-DVD Speed, we were not able to make any writing curve at 5x, without setting the drive in another external cabinet. (The author of Nero CD-DVD Speed is aware of the issue).

Writing DVD-RAM at 5x

8X DVD+R DL writing speed:

The HP dvd840e uses Z-CLV, (Zone-Constant Linear Velocity) to write DVD+R DL at 8x. The average speed is 6.35x and total writing time is 18:57 minutes.

4x DVD-R DL writing speed:

The HP dvd840 uses Z-CLV, (Zone-Constant Linear Velocity) to write DVD-R DL at 4x. The average speed is 3.98x and total writing time is 27:09 minutes.